Transcript of Critical realism in research

Critical realism: Critical realists are  kind of like the activist social justice   warrior kids in high school. They're  the ones who are digging really deep   into the unfair stuff going on around them,  and they're not just pointing out problems;   they're trying to understand how they affect  people and what they can do to make things better. In this video, we're going to dive into the  world of critical realism and figure out what   it's all about. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Yardley, and  on this channel, I have made it my mission to   demystify the jargon and the complex terminology  that exists in the world of academia. Paradigms   are one of those things that feel quite  intimidating, that feel quite impenetrable,   and a lot of the academic writing on them does not  help anyone who's picked up a textbook or a paper   about paradigms, about theoretical frameworks.  You might have ended up feeling more confused   than you started out, and you are not alone.  I'm trying to make these things accessible   and relatable because they are not as complex as  many people think they are. And this video is the   final part in a series all about paradigms.  I will link to the playlist on the screen,   but essentially what I've been doing in  this series is explaining what paradigms   are and then looking in detail at three  key social science research paradigms. So,   we've looked at positivism, we've looked at  interpretivism; in this video, we're looking   at critical realism. So, if that is something  that is of interest to you, go binge that now. Before we dive into critical realism, I want  to have a quick recap of what I mean when I say   paradigms and ontology and epistemology, just so  we're all on the same page, okay? So, paradigms,   quick recap. Now, imagine the landscape  of social research like a bustling high   school where you've got cliques of different  kids. You've got your artsy creative types,   you've got your social justice warriors, you've  got your jocks, you've got your geeks. Now, all   of these different groups of kids attach differing  degrees of importance to particular things. They   have ways of dressing, ways of behaving, ways  of making sense of the world. And I use this   high school cliques analogy to make sense of some  of the key research paradigms in social sciences. So, firstly, positivists. I would compare them  to the science geeks who are diligently pursuing   the hard facts and the objective truths.  The interpretivists, on the other hand,   are like the artsy creative crowd at high  school, valuing people's thoughts and feelings   and treasuring the stories that they bring to  the table. And finally, the critical realists,   who we're looking at in this video. For me, they  stand out as the activists, the social justice   warriors diving deep into systemic inequalities  and trying to do something about them. Now, before we dive into critical realism, if you  are thinking about adopting a critical realist   approach in your dissertation, your Ph.D., I  want to know about it. Drop a comment below and   spill the beans. What's your research about?  What are you studying? Why are you passionate   about it? Let's get some conversations going in  the comments because when it comes to paradigms,   it's something that people don't talk about very  often, and I want us to start talking about it.   So, get typing below. Seriously, I am like super  geeky curious about other people's research,   so tell me all about it in the comments. Don't  hold back. Let's get the conversation going. Okay, so ontology and epistemology, a quick  recap. As we've seen in the previous three   videos when we're talking about paradigms,  we need to be super clear what we mean by   ontology and epistemology. So, let's quickly  whiz through that now. And quick side note,   if you want to dive much deeper  into ontology and epistemology,   I will pop a link to a video on the  screen now that will help you do that. So, first up, ontology. Ontology is like asking,  what's out there? It's about figuring out exactly   what it is that we're studying. When we look at  the social world, do we see it as something fixed   and unchanging, kind of like a building that  is there whether we look at it or not? If so,   we're taking a realist approach. Or do we  see the social world as something that is   constantly changing and evolving in response to  the things that we do within it, something that's   influenced by our actions and our interactions,  like a home that we're constantly changing and   adapting and decorating and redecorating? If so,  we're taking a social constructivist approach. Epistemology, on the other hand, is more about  asking, how do we know what's out there? It's   about how we study the social world. Do we seek  to explain things and identify the causes? If so,   we're taking a positivist approach.  Or do we try to understand things   and identify their meanings? If so,  we're taking an interpretivist view. Okay, after that very quick  whistle-stop talk of paradigms,   ontology, and epistemology, we're ready  for critical realism. So, let's dive in. So, the critical realist, like the activist social  justice warrior kids in high school, they focus on   uncovering deeper structures and mechanisms  whilst fighting for social justice. Let's   explore the key principles. Critical realists  believe that there is quite a clear distinction   between the real world and the observable world.  There's a difference between what's real and what   we can actually see and measure. The real stuff  is like the big picture that exists on its own,   whilst what we observe is shaped by our own  experience and perspectives. Though what's   observable or empirical, it's kind of like when a  scientist conducts an experiment. They create the   experiment, they get all the equipment out, they  get it going, and they see the results. However,   the results are caused by underlying  theoretical mechanisms, structures,   and laws that they can't observe directly, much in  the same way as we can't directly observe gravity,   but we know that it's there because we can  see its effects, like objects falling to the   ground. Similarly, critical realists argue that  whilst we can observe events in the social world,   there are underlying structures that shape them,  things that might not be immediately apparent,   things that we can't see. So, according to  critical realists, the things that we can't see   cause the things that we can see, and the social  world can only be understood if people get that. Critical realists use the concepts of the  empirical, the actual, and the real to make   sense of this. So, let's walk through an example.  The example that we're looking at is poverty. So,   firstly, the empirical. This is  the observable aspect of poverty,   the tangible signs that we can see, like people  living on the streets, struggling to afford basic   necessities, or relying on food banks to  feed their families. These are the visible,   day-to-day realities of poverty that we  can directly observe in our communities. Next up, the actual. So, we're moving beyond what  we can see on the surface. The actual layer delves   into how poverty plays out in real life. So, it  considers the interactions between individuals,   social institutions, government policies,  economic systems, and cultural norms. These   are the things that perpetuate poverty, and it's  about understanding the complex web of factors   and dynamics that contribute to the existence  and persistence of poverty in society. So,   these are processes that go on, these are things  that happen that we can't necessarily see. And finally, we arrive at the real. This  is where critical realism really shines,   in my humble opinion. The real layer goes deeper  beyond what's immediately visible to uncover the   underlying structures and mechanisms that give  rise to poverty in the first place. So, these are   the systemic things like unequal distribution  of wealth, lack of access to education and   healthcare, discrimination based on race or  gender, economic policies that favor the wealthy   over the marginalized. These are the invisible but  powerful forces that shape and perpetuate poverty,   often operating beyond our immediate perception. So, in the example of poverty, critical realists  argue that what we can see on the surface,   the empirical, is actually just the tip of  the iceberg. The actual layer reveals the   complex dynamics that play in perpetuating  poverty, whilst the real layer uncovers the   deep-rooted structural inequalities. And these  are the foundations upon which poverty is built.   And critical realists argue that we need to  recognize all of these layers, we need to   recognize what's going on at each of these levels  if we're to combat poverty in our communities. If you're finding this video helpful, insightful,  revealing, please take the time to give it a   thumbs up, because it's really valuable in helping  other people find it. So, let's think about   ontology and epistemology and where the critical  realists stand on that. So, in terms of ontology,   critical realists believe that there are deeper  underlying structures that exist in the world that   aren't always evident, that we can't always see.  These things are real, they exist independently   of us, they're there beneath the surface. So,  while we can see the tangible signs of poverty   in our communities, critical realists argue  that there are things causing poverty that we   can't see, those deeper systemic issues and  inequalities that live beneath the surface. Now, in terms of epistemology,  which is about the how question,   how do we go about researching the social  world, critical realists say that it's   really important to recognize the difference  between what's observable and what is real   but might not be immediately visible. They  want a holistic approach that acknowledges   the stuff that we can see and the stuff  we can't see. This means recognizing that   our understanding of social issues like poverty  are shaped by our perspectives and experiences,   but it also encourages us to look beyond the  surface and examine the systemic issues at play. So, an example of critical realist research.  The example that we're looking at is this study,   this fascinating study that I will link to in the  description. It's about clinical photographers   who take pictures of wounds in a UK clinic. It's  massively helpful in seeing how those concepts   of the empirical, the actual, and the real play  out. Firstly, the empirical. This is about the   observable elements of the photographer's  work, the things that we can see:   the act of taking photos, their equipment,  the wounds that they capture in their images.   These are the visible, day-to-day realities  of their job that we can directly observe. Secondly, looking at the actual. Here,  we're looking at how the photographer's   work plays out in real life. It considers  how their thoughts and their actions are   influenced by their experiences and the  environment they work in. This layer   goes beyond just the observable actions,  just the things that we can see. It goes   deeper because it's looking at the complex  dynamics that are involved in that job. Lastly, the real layer looks at the underlying  mechanisms and structures that influence the   photographer's work. This includes things like  rules and hierarchy in the medical setting. Those   deeper, unseen forces have quite a significant  impact on how photographers do their job. Now, let's talk about ontology and epistemology in  this study and where we can see critical realism   at play. So, in terms of ontology, this  study aligns really neatly with critical   realist ontology because it acknowledges  that there are deeper structures at work   in the world that influence our experiences  and our actions. It recognizes that there's   more to the photographer's work than  just what we can see on the surface.   It's shaped by the rules, the hierarchy,  and other factors in the medical setting. And looking at epistemology, in terms of  how we understand the photographer's work,   the study emphasizes how important it is  to recognize both the observable aspects,   the empirical, and the underlying structures,  the real, that shape their actions. And it's   this holistic approach that allows us  to gain a deeper understanding of the   photographer's work because it helps us  consider the interplay between what we can   observe and what lies beneath the surface,  what we're not so readily able to observe. So, through this study, we can see how  critical realism offers us a framework,   a framework that's really valuable  for understanding the complexities   of the social world like the work of  clinical photographers because it gives   us those insights into the visible and the  underlying elements of their experiences. To recap, in this video, we've taken a look at  critical realists, and critical realists are kind   of like the activist kids in high school. They are  always fighting for what's right and uncovering   the hidden stuff. We had a quick recap of some key  terms like paradigms, ontology, and epistemology,   and then we looked at the key concepts of the  critical realist approach. We used the example   of poverty to look at those three layers: the  empirical, the actual, and the real. And then   we looked at an example of critical realist  research on the work of clinical photographers. I hope you found this video helpful. If  you did, give it a thumbs up because that   helps other people find it too. Let me  know your questions in the comments,   and be sure to check out the other videos in this  series. I will link to them in the description.